Beauty: Pack Lightly

With Memorial Day just around the corner, the official kick-off is upon us for three-months of sun-drenched getaways and lazy long weekends by the beach or pool. And whether you’re traveling by plane, train, automobile—or yacht—there’s no longer any need to sacrifice precious space in your Boat ’N Tote with full-sized bottles of shampoo, face cream, or body wash. Launched earlier this year, 3floz.com is a one-stop shopping site dedicated solely to travel-size (TSA-approved) versions of the chicest niche beauty products. It’s the why-didn’t-I-think-of-that brainchild of Kate Duff and Alexi Mintz, two friends and former co-workers (they met at Archipelago Botanicals) who dreamt up the site based on their very different travel strategies. While Mintz erred on the side of less is more, packing her overnight bag with nondescript drugstore-brand minis that interrupted her tried-and-true home regimen, Duff’s habit was to show up curbside with not one, but usually two oversize suitcases filled with her full-size favorites.

“People are committed to their brands; that’s why this works,” Duff says of their carefully selected range, which includes adorable minis from indie darlings like Weleda, Philip B, Malin + Goetz, Molton Brown, and Ole Henriksen. The purpose of the site, adds Mintz, “is to target brands that we use, trust, and have tested.” The site is not only a huge hit with frequent fliers—the themed In Hotel Spa, Gym, and Urban Traveler kits are top-sellers—but it has also revolutionized the way Duff herself travels. “This past winter was the first time I didn’t check my luggage. Everything fit into two little Ziploc bags!”